The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Amaryllis plant, botanically known as Hippeastrum hybrid and referred to by the cultivar name Sampa.
The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new freely flowering Amaryllis cultivars with novel flower coloration patterns and disease resistance.
The new Amaryllis originated from a cross made by the Inventor in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., of a proprietary selection of the interspecific cross Hippeastrum papilioxc3x97Hippeastrum lapacense identified as H-1-31 (not patented), as the female, or seed, parent with the Hippeastrum hybrid cultivar Apple Blossom (not patented), as the male, or pollen, parent.
The cultivar Sampa was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 1994. The selection of this new Amaryllis plant was based on its unique flower coloration pattern.
Plants of the new Amaryllis differ from plants of the female parent in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Amaryllis have red purple (57A) and white-striped petals and sepals whereas plants of the female parent have red (45B) with green background-colored petals and sepals.
2. Flowers of plants of the new Amaryllis are much larger than flowers of plants of the female parent.
3. Plants of the new Amaryllis are more freely flowering than plants of the female parent.
4. Flowers of plants of the new Amaryllis are more fragrant than flowers of plants of the female parent.
Plants of the new Amaryllis differ from plants of the male parent in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Amaryllis are much more compact with shorter leaves and scapes than plants of the male parent.
2. Plants of the new Amaryllis have red purple (57A) and white-striped petalls and sepals whereas plants of the male parent have light pink (62B) and white-striped petals and sepals.
3. Plants of the new Amaryllis are more freely flowering with more scapes per plant and more flowers per scape than plants of the male parent.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by twin-scale cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has shown that the unique features of this new Amaryllis are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Sampa has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Sampaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Sampaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Plants of the new Amaryllis have a semi-dwarf, compact growth habit.
2. Plants of the new Amaryllis are very freely flowering with three to four scapes per bulb and typically about five to eight open flowers per scape.
3. Flowers of plants of the new Amaryllis have red purple and white-striped petals and sepals.
4. Plants of the new Amaryllis are resistant to Red Scorch Fungus, Staganospora curtisii, and Leaf Spot Fungus, Cercospora pancratii. 
5. Plants of the new Amaryllis have exhibited excellent high temperature tolerance.